HOT SPRINGS -- Mills may have lost the 5A-Central Conference championship to Little Rock Parkview, but the Comets are bringing the Class 5A boys basketball state championship to East Dixon Road in Little Rock.
Behind senior forward Darious Hall's 24 points and 13 rebounds, Mills earned a 65-61 victory over Little Rock Parkview in front of 5,965 at Bank of the Ozarks Arena.
It was the second state championship for Mills (31-2). The Comets' first title came in 2004 when they were in Class AAAA.
"Hard work and dedication," said Hall, a University of Arkansas, Fayetteville signee. "We got into the gym and worked. We knew this time was going to come. We stepped up to the plate and won the game."
Mills Coach Raymond Cooper earned his first state championship Thursday.
"It's a blessing," Cooper said. "These guys told me last year that we were going to be here. It's easy for people to say.
"These guys have been tremendous all year. It's one of the easiest coaching jobs I've ever had because of the experience. My hat's off to them."
Senior guard Jeremiah Toney finished with 15 points and seven rebounds for the Comets. Junior guard Grehlon Easter had 12 points and made two three-pointers.
Parkview (28-6) was led by senior forward Javon Franklin's 21 points and 11 rebounds. Senior forward Khalil Garland, who also is a Razorbacks signee, and junior forward C.J. White each had 12 points for the Patriots.
Hall made 3 three-pointers and finished 9 of 12 at the free-throw line. His two free throws with 10.4 seconds remaining gave Mills a 64-61 lead.
Cooper said he had to send Hall home after a practice this week because he wanted to stay longer than needed. On Thursday, the extra work paid off for Hall.
"He said, 'Coach, I've got to finish my shots,' " Cooper said of Hall. "I was confident with him being in there. I gave him this look, this arrow thing that he does. He looked at me and smiled. I said he's going to knock them down.
"It's unbelievable how loose this group is."
Parkview had an opportunity to tie the game, but freshman guard Moses Moody's three-point attempt was off. Comets senior guard Quawn Marshall, who was hospitalized with dehydration earlier this week, made one of two free throws to seal the victory with 1.2 seconds to play.
On Feb. 24, Parkview defeated Mills 57-55 in overtime in the 5A-Central Conference championship game in Maumelle. The Patriots, though, could not defeat the Comets a second time after shooting 38.2 percent (21 of 55).
"We struggled the whole game," Parkview Coach Al Flanigan said. "But you've got to give them credit. Last game they missed them. This game they made them."
Mills jumped out to a 16-8 lead in the first quarter, hitting four three-pointers in the quarter. The Comets stretched their lead to 33-23 before halftime on Hall's three-pointer and Easter's dunk.
The Comets had a lead of 44-35 with 2:56 left in the third quarter on Toney's tip-in. Parkview ended the quarter on a 7-2 spurt, capped by Garland's jumper at the buzzer, cutting the Comets' lead to 46-42.
Mills' largest lead in the fourth quarter was 56-46 with 5:17 left after Hall made two free throws. The Comets had a 62-54 lead with 2:13 remaining, but the Patriots pulled within 62-59 with 1:41 left on junior guard Rod Terry's three-pointer.
Mills, which went 21 of 37 at the free-throw line in its loss to Parkview earlier this season, missed four consecutive free throws over the next minute to keep the Patriots in the game. Franklin made one of two free throws to get the Patriots within 62-61 with 13 seconds remaining, but that was as close as they would get.
Flanigan said on multiple occasions this season that he wanted the Patriots to win a state championship for the senior class of Garland, Franklin and center Spencer McElway. While they won last season in Class 6A against Pine Bluff, the Patriots came up short on that goal in 2017.
"They put us on the map. I couldn't be more proud of these seniors," said Flanigan, whose senior class finished 106-15 in four seasons. "They've won 100-something games. That's why they came to Parkview, to win championships. We couldn't get this one done."
MVP
DARIOUS HALL
MILLS
Senior forward Darious Hall hit 6 of 10 shots and went 9 of 12 from the free-throw line as Mills captured its second state championship and first since 2004. Hall also grabbed 13 rebounds and had 3 steals. He made 3 three-pointers for the Comets, who entered the Class 5A state tournament as a No. 2 seed from the 5A-Central Conference.
And ones
Mills Coach Raymond Cooper won his first state championship as a head coach. Cooper lost with North Pulaski in 2009 and in his first season with Mills in 2012. … The Comets lost to Parkview in the 5A-Central Conference championship game Feb. 24, but rebounded in the Class 5A state tournament, defeating Magnolia, Maumelle and Hot Springs before holding off Little Rock Parkview on Thursday. … Parkview, the No. 1 seed from the 5A-Central, was attempting to win its 14th state championship and second consecutive. It was the Patriots’ first season in Class 5A.
— Jeremy Muck
Quotable
“It’s about the
kids. Coaching
gets you here.
Players win
the games.”
— Mills Coach Raymond
Cooper on winning his first state championship
Sports on 03/10/2017